Which to use
“obviar” and “olvidar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #30,167
- “obviar” frequency rank
- #2,516
- “olvidar” frequency rank
- 32683
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | obviar | olvidar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Neutralizar o suprimir un obstáculo o inconveniente al ignorarlo, apartarlo, quitarlo etc. | Perder el recuerdo o la memoria de algo. |
Where the eye mixes obviar and olvidar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. obviar runs 6 letters (VCCVVC) against olvidar's 7 (VCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between obviar and olvidar
A purely visual mix-up. obviar ([oβ̞ˈbjaɾ]) and olvidar ([olβ̞iˈð̞aɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32683, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
obviar is recorded at frequency rank #30,167, classified as averb, pronounced [oβ̞ˈbjaɾ]. olvidar is at rank #2,516, tagged as averb, pronounced [olβ̞iˈð̞aɾ].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 32683, this pair ranks #200,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of obviar vs olvidar
Shared letters: aiorv. Private to "obviar": b. Private to "olvidar": dl.
"obviar" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC · "olvidar" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "obviar" and "olvidar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "obviar" or "olvidar"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "obviar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "olvidar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #200,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "obviar" and "olvidar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "obviar vs obvios". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #200,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.